As such, Mr. Cornelius has been cutting risk for clients. After the 2008 market crash, he started buying mutual funds that aim to make money in a falling stock market. Earlier this year, he bought an exchange-traded fund that invests in relatively less-volatile foreign stocks. Although the ETF, iShares MSCI EAFE Minimum Volatility, has underperformed the standard international-stock benchmark this year, the firm is "very comfortable with the investment," says Burt Wealth analyst Brendan Feury. He adds that the low-volatility index has beaten the traditional index over the longer term.

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In this column, we feature model portfolios of mutual funds and ETFs. Burt Wealth Advisors, founded in 1985, manages around $400 million, mainly for individuals. Mr. Cornelius joined the company in 1992.

Here, Mr. Cornelius shares a moderate-risk model portfolio used by many clients. It has returned 6.8% annually in the three years through October, he says. That is before the firm's fee of 0.85% of assets under management.

Ms. Anand is the markets and finance editor for The Wall Street Journal in India. Email her at shefali.anand@wsj.com.

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